MCPF should step up role to reduce crime: Ahmad Zahid (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) has been urged to step up its role to assist police reduce crime, thereby enhancing the public's perception and confidence with the security of the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said although the rate of serious crimes has generally fallen, the people's perception has not improved due to the occurrence of minor crime.

"We know no country is free of crime, but MCPF and police have shown good progress (in reducing the crime rate) and hope the hard work of police will continue to be supported by us (MCPF).

"It's not just from the education aspect that will eventually produce results in preventing and reducing (the crime) but we want MCPF, at the national, state and district levels to continue to be third-party validators to assist police," he said when opening the 25th MCPF annual general meeting here today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister and MCPF chairman, chaired the meeting which was also attended by deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

Speaking to more than 300 delegates at the meeting, Ahmad Zahid said, to enhance its role, the MCPF needed to create community policing in every district and housing area, to become the 'eyes and ears' of police.

He said community policing which was extremely effective in reducing crime was popular in the Chinese community, but was still poorly implemented in Malay and Indian neighbourhoods.

"Therefore, in the spirit of 1Malaysia we hope community policing will be established, not only at housing areas in the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak but also at longhouse communities," he said.

Community policing can also serve as a bridge connecting people with police to work together to reduce crime.

At the MCPF annual general meeting, an election for the MCPF executive council members for the 2018-2020 term was held with 35 candidates contested for 17 positions.

Ahmad Zahid later presented awards to winners of the 2017 MCPF Police Station Visit programme.— Bernama